Subject Sixty-two

A PORTRAIT OF THIS GENERATION

Scripture: Matt. 11:16-19

1. This generation is like children at play
   1. In the eyes of the Lord, all our life is like child’s play.
   2. Although all is but children’s play to the Lord, yet men look at this generation as something great. These two are in contrast.
   3. Because men’s viewpoint of this generation and the Lord’s viewpoint are different, the emphasis is also different. Men of this generation stress today’s living and neglect the consequence in the future, but the Lord Jesus disregards today’s living and takes it as child’s play. He cares for the consequence in the future.
      This section should be strongly emphasized. This is the only place in the whole Bible where it is mentioned that the life of this generation is but child’s play.
2. The wailing of the gospel
   1. Because the Lord disregards the life of this generation and cares much for the future consequence, He preached the gospel to men. The gospel turns men’s attention from this generation to the future. In other words, the gospel changes men’s viewpoint from this generation to the future.
   2. When a man only pays attention to the life of this generation, he does not realize that there is any problem with his morality. When a man pays attention to the future, his conscience is activated and he immediately realizes that he is sinful.
   3. So the Lord’s gospel is to wail, because: (1) men are sinful, but they are not conscious of their sinfulness, and (2) they are on the way to destruction, yet do not know it. Hence, the Lord’s gospel is to wail so that men may be made aware and that they would repent.
3. The piping of the gospel
   1. On the negative side, the gospel is to wail and to cause men to repent. On the positive side, it is the piping to cause men to rejoice. If the gospel is only the negative wailing and not the positive piping, the glad tidings would have become bad news. The reason that the gospel is glad tidings is because its wailing is for the piping.
   2. The gospel piping is the good tidings of great joy proclaiming to us that our Lord Jesus is our Savior who takes away our sins, delivers us from perishing, and gives us eternal life. All these should cause us to rejoice. Such a proclamation really sounds like music.
4. Men’s reactions
   1. Men do not understand the wailing of the Lord Jesus and take it as something crazy; they think that He was out of His mind. Some heard the believers testifying about this sin, that sin, and many other sins, and they said, “These people must be crazy. They must be out of their minds.” What they did not know was that this is the wailing. Had they seen the terror of man’s perishing, they would have sorrowfully repented and would have not lived such a life in a stupor of carefree indulgence.
   2. Men do not accept the gospel piping, and they consider it ridiculous and wasteful. The Lord Jesus piped to them, yet they said that the Lord Jesus was a gluttonous man and a winebibber. Men of this generation also criticize the joyful life of Christians. Christians often meet together and praise God. Those of this generation do not accept the music of Christians’ piping, and they say, “They are just wasting their time. Why do they go to the meetings instead of studying hard? Why don’t they take care of their business rather than listening to the messages?” They think that the Christians’ meeting, listening to messages, and prayers are altogether wasteful.
5. The choice of the wise
   1. The general reaction of men who reject the gospel is foolish. Here you should argue the reactions of the two points mentioned earlier. Make it clear to them: because men are sinful and shall perish, shouldn’t we wail? On the other hand, because Jesus shed His blood and gives life, shouldn’t we pipe?
   2. Conclude that there should be a wise decision: to stress the future but not this generation; to choose Christ and not the pleasure of sins. I should lament when the gospel is being wailed, and I should dance when the gospel is being piped. With a sorrowful and contrite heart I should echo the gospel’s wailing, and with joy and rejoicing I should echo the gospel’s piping.
   3. The result of the wise choice is first the lamenting and then the dancing. First comes the sorrow, but the end is rejoicing.